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I'm a wife, mother to 4 wonderful boys and a total bookaholic :) Im Irish and I read mainly anything Paranormal, Fantasy, Dystopian and Post Apocalyptic. I'm a big fan of Supernatural and The Vampire Diaries and binge watch them when Im not reading!

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Wednesday, 12 August 2015

The Lion's Pride by Natalie Crown Blog Tour and Giveaway!

Welcome to my tour stop for The Lion's Pride by Natalie Crown! The tour runs August 3 - 14 with reviews, author interviews, guest posts and excerpts. This is a YA Fantasy/Alternate World book that released on August 2nd. It is the second book in the The Semei Trilogy. Check out the tour page for the full schedule.

'She is the reason your friends are dead. She should pay the price for that betrayal.'Not long ago Kammy had led a simple existence, stuck on an island, with only her Gran and Jamie to care about. Now she knows she is half Semei and of royal blood, in possession of an item that could bring about a war that would destroy the world, and so the worlds within it. She cannot go back and, despite everything, she does not want to.But she is haunted by the man - the king - that shadows her.Bagor and his army wait. In three days he will march into Emire and he will take everything.Kammy and her friends have one hope. They must find Danorrah; a cursed city, lost to the memory of all. Bagor will hunt them, every step of the way, determined to claim the Key and to claim her. It is all well and good that Kammy does not want to go back to her old life, but she will need the blessing of the Mother if she is to elude Bagor and hang on to her new one.

All sorts of places! A location can inspire me, a person can inspire me, a book can inspire me. I always carry a notepad and pen because I can literally never guess when an idea might come ploughing into my brain.

How do you develop your writing ideas?

I note things down. At first, it will be random things. And then, if the idea keeps developing and won’t leave me alone, I’ll try to write a broad plan. Very early on, I’ll try to come up with a start point, an endpoint, and a setting. Those things will almost certainly change if I stick with the idea, but I find that base shell helpful for putting bits and pieces together.

Where do you find inspiration for your characters?

Often from other characters that I have loved reading about/watching. A character like Han Solo, for example, has probably inspired about a hundred of my characters over the years. But, in those situations, you still have to try and make your character stand out as its own…

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

From a very young age. All my family and friends from childhood knew about it, because I was always writing. I was convinced that I would be the youngest author every published. Alas…

What makes you unique as a writer?

Oh, wow. I guess...every writer is unique? We each have our own minds and our own lives. Our writing will be shaped by who we are as people, even if we are not conscious of it.

I can’t think of anything more specific than that.

What writers inspire/d you?

J.K Rowling is not only an inspiring author, but an inspiring person. I also credit Tamora Pierce for making me realise that girls could write fantasy when I was young.

How has your writing career changed since you started?

I actually have to hold myself to deadlines now, which I am very bad at!

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I don’t think my quirks are anything unique if I’m honest. I prefer to write by hand than to type?

What are your writing goals for the next year?

I hope to write the final book in the Semei Trilogy, and to get myself an agent for my WIP.

Name the five biggest distractions from your writing.

Oh god.

THE INTERNET

THE INTERNET

THE INTERNET

THE INTERNET

THE INTERNET

What character would you most like to be stuck in an elevator with?

Guilty confession time.

Jad was the first character I came up with from this series, when I was fourteen years old. Let’s just say...I’ve always imagined him as VERY much my type. So he’d be nice to view while we waited for the elevator to get moving. Although...when I first came up with him I was fourteen and he was eighteen. Now I’m almost twenty-six (oh my god) so that makes it a bit creepy...

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I hear from my mum all the time, and she tells me I’m awesome!

Some Get to know me Questions

What’s the best vacation you ever had?

I was incredibly lucky to spend two weeks in China last year. Two highlights were:

1. Climbing Mt Huangshan. I don’t know if I will ever do something more incredible than that in my life.

2. Visiting a part of the Great Wall that the tourists don’t know about. It was glorious weather and my friends and I were pretty much alone. At one point, I let my friends go ahead and I sat down to write. Just me, the sun, a beautiful view, and the Great Wall.

What’s your favourite rainy day movie?

Gladiator or Moulin Rouge, depending on my mood. Faves 4 lyf.

If you could be any age again for a week, which would you choose and why?

21. I was studying abroad in Italy that year, and I also didn’t have any pesky issues with my knees. Very good times.

If you could have personally witnessed one event in history, what would it be?

Awesome question, and one I’ll answer badly I suspect. I’d like to have met Cleopatra and just witnessed her do her thing?

What's your favourite place to read?

I don’t really have a favourite place. But I definitely want a little reading alcove one day.

If you had a million dollars, what would be the first thing you would buy?

A house. With a reading alcove!

About the Author:

I grew up in a village called Swilland, in the countryside of Suffolk, England. There wasn’t much around, other than farms and fields, but for the most part I loved it, and I still do. I’m a passionate person by nature. I don’t just LIKE things, I LOVE things. Whether it’s a book, a film, or a sports team. Once I decide to enjoy something, I enjoy it to the MAX.I’m a terrible cook. I prioritise essential social media work over keeping my flat tidy, because I know best.Onto my love of reading and, consequently, writing – it was my dad that played a big role in encouraging me to read. He didn’t push me towards books necessarily; he simply read a lot himself. Then I would pick up his books and read them after him. I was reading high and epic fantasy from a very young age. I guess that might explain why I have always loved adventure stories with magic and intrigue and princes and princesses in.I was aware that I wanted to ‘be a writer’ from a very young age. I was convinced I would be the first best seller that hadn’t reached double figures in age yet! I wrote about the Danshees, furry creatures that lived through a mirror. I wrote about a Sand Bottle that transported a boy into a world of magic. I wrote about a sick girl finding a music boy that healed her, but transported her back in time. (Wow, I always have loved alternate universes…)When I was eight I wrote my first novel called The Land of No Return. Despite the title, I am determined to return to it one day. I feel like I owe it to my past self. So, as you can see, I have always been writing. There have been times when I have gone weeks without scratching down a word. Then there are days where I churn out multiple chapters and only my body’s silly desire for sleep and/or food can stop me.I write because I enjoy it. I write fantasy because I enjoy it. I try my hardest to put something of myself into my writing. I like to think my characters have depth, I like to think that my fantasy worlds reflect upon the real world in some way. You guys will be the judge of that but even if you don’t agree I know that I at least try and I can do no more than that.These days I live in North London and I love it. I work full time and London is a hectic city. Juggling work, writing and a social life is tough but nobody is forcing me to do it so I can’t complain. The dream is that writing will be my career one day but it doesn’t matter if I never quite make it. I love writing too much to ever pack it in.I am desperate to get a dog. My mum suspects I miss my cats at home more than I miss her. I am a devout Arsenal/Ferrari/Rafael Nadal fan. I get all mad when confronted with a case of social injustice and then I get all mad when people take the fight for social justice too far. I mostly keep those thoughts to myself and simmer with rage. I watch good TV and bad TV, because I can. What I can’t do is enjoy bad books (subjective opinion of course). I just can’t.

Giveaway:$25 Amazon gift card & copy of The Wolf's Cry or The Lion's Pride in paperback (INT), two (2) additional winners will receive a copy of The Wolf's Cry or The Lion's Pride in paperback (INT)Ends Aug. 18thPrizing provided by the author, hosts are in no way responsible.